Take A Bow
by Anakin
Summary: Trory! Rory has a dream about Tristan that changes her furture with Dean. Now, she's determined to find out what that dream meant.
1. There's no one here, there's no one in t...

**There's No One Here, There's No One In The Crowd**  
Chapter 1  
  
  


  
She watched him from behind the scences, hidden in the shadows. As of lately, she found herself doing this more and more. She found it was the only true way of finding out exactly who he was, and why he didn't allow anyone to see it. She watched as he moved his way down the halls of Chilton, waving and grinning at those he thought were worthy. That grin, that unbelievably fake grin he held and used at any time he pleased, to get away with just about anything. Girls fell over themselves when he used it, guys followed his suit. It was like he was the King of Chilton, and it wouldn't surprise her if he knew that and used it to for all it's worth.  
  
Didn't he understand she wasn't blind? God, that annoyed her more than anything. All it took was one moment, and she knew he wasn't everything he wanted the world to think he was. He wasn't the surpreme player, he wasn't the asshole. He was scared. He was just plain scared.  
  
Shutting her locker softly, hoping not to draw any unwanted attention to herself, she made her way down the halls, the hard material of her shoes making a steady rhythm on the tile floors. It freaked her out a little that she already had his entire schedule memorized. That she knew exactly where he would be on a certain day at a certain time. It scared her even more that she cared, that she wasted her time following him around on certain days when she was able, when she was free. And she had a lot of free time lately.  
  
Two months without Dean. You'd think she'd be completely over him by now, wouldn't you? She couldn't help it. She felt guilty. It was her fault they broke up, it was her fault she crushed the heart of her first love, and that guilt sometimes was overwhelming. What had possed her?  
  
_-Flashback-  
  
"And, I knew you'd like this..." Dean said, smiling, as he pulled a book out from him bag. Handing it to her, he watched as her face brightened, and he couldn't help but smiling a little brighter himself.  
  
"I know you've been looking for it, so I did a little searching on-line and there you have it. Do you like it?" He asked, connecting his hands behind his back and rocking on his heels.  
  
Her eyes widened and she smiled up at her, her cheeks glowing. "Of course I like it! I love it! Thank you!" She squealed, throwing her arms around his neck, and hugging him.  
  
He smiled and wrapped his arms around her small frame, lifting her up slightly.  
  
"Happy 3 month anniversary. I love you, Rory." He whispered, his face pressed into her hair. He snuggled her closer and savored the smell of her hair.  
  
"Happy 3 month anniversay. I love you too, Tris..." Her soft voice trailed off as soon as the word left her mouth. Her eyes widened, then snapped shut suddenly, hoping that she hadn't said the words out loud. She felt Dean's strong arms tighten around her, his harsh breathing tickling the soft skin on her neck.  
  
Pulling her back, he held her at arms length and stared at her. He watched her eyes look up at him slowly, the straight back down at the floor.  
  
"What?" He asked harshly.  
  
"I didn't mean that Dean, you know it. It slipped. I had a dream, and it was weird, and it's been on my mind all day. It just was on my mind!" She said quickly, her blue eyes raising to meet his now dark ones.  
  
"You were thinking of a dream about Tristan while telling me you loved me? You better stop explaining now Rory, cause you're not doing yourself any good." He stated, stepping away from her and turning.  
  
"Dean! Stop! It was a mistake. I love you, you know that!" She cried, making her way towards him. He turned suddenly, causing her to stop suddenly.  
  
"Right now Rory, I could care less what you feel towards me. This," he waved his arm in front of him, gesturing to the both of them, "is over. And until you can make up your mind, don't seek me out. Please Rory, just leave me alone." He finished, staring at her for a moment, just long enough to see the hurt mocking her in his eyes, before turning and walking away, making his way through the streets and into the darkness.  
  
  
  
_Ever since then she's been obsessed. She knew it was crazy, and she knew she must be crazy to be pursuing this, but he had no right. Tristan had no right to break his way into her dreams, break his way into her mind and mess everything up, even when he's not physically there. How was he able to do that? Mess everything up, without even being in the same county? So she dedicated herself to her school work, withdrew herself from her town life, only calling on her mother and Lane. Rarely did she visit Luke's, rarely did she walk throughout the streets of her town, out of fear of seeing him before she was ready. So she decided to find out exactly why Tristan had came into her dreams that night. Why that dream had meant so much to her, and why she replaced Tristan's name with Dean in those 3 words she'd barely told anyone but her mother.  
  
Leaning agaisnt a light post outside the local pizza joint, she watched him through one of the painted windows. It didn't matter that the cold was bitting and nipping at her fingers and nose, all that mattered was him, and that little girl Rory had seen him with a few times now.  
  
  


*_Take a bow, the night is over  
This masquerade is,  
getting older*  
_

  
  
She was probably the cutest little girl she'd ever seen in her life. Her long sandy blonde hair was pulled up into two pig tales on either side of her head, her bright blue eyes wide and full of excitement. Her rosey cheeks and pink lips were smeared with pizza sauce, and Tristan was giggling at her, watching her as she picked another piece of cheese off her pizza and pushed it into her tiny mouth. She watched as he took a napkin from the end of the table and gently wiped the sauce off the little girls face, grinning all the while.  
  
And it was a beautiful grin. Not one of his fake cocky grins he had mastered at school. No, it was real, it was innocent. Something she never thought Tristan could ever be, and she found herself almost hating him for how well he could play both roles. Angel and Devil. The grin held a certain happiness she'd never seen radiate from him before. It reached all the way to his eyes, and even from her distance she could see the pleasure in them. The pleasure in not having to please people around him by being the Tristan they've grown acccustum to over the 12 years of knowing him. The pleasure of being himself.  
  
  


*_Light are low, the curtains down  
There's no one here  
(There's no one here, there's no one in the crowd)*  
_

  
  
She watched as he got up and made his way around the table, picking the small girl up in his arms and heading towards the cashier. This was her que to go, and she found herself longing to stay and watch him off, but the parking lot was well lit and slightly small, and she didn't want to risk him noticing her. Taking one final look at him, she turned on her heel and made her way to her mothers jeep, forcing herself not to give into the want of looking over her shoulder and watching him exit the building. Pushing herself up into the jeep, she rubbed her cold hands together for a moment before starting the car and exiting the parkinglot.  
  
The trip home was a long one, and she didn't even bother trying to turn her brain off from the millions of thoughts running through her brain. Over the past 2 months, Rory Gilmore had turned into a completely different person. She still was witty and intellegent, and she still read all the time and joked with her mom. Her grades hadn't suffered, infact, they'd gotten better, but she'd been thinking a lot more, about a lot of different things. She'd always known where her life was going education wise and career wise, but as a personal matter she'd never given it much thought. She thought she'd always have Dean, that she'd go away to college and come back and he'd be there, waiting for her with an engagement ring and a purposal tucked safely in his back pocket, but now that image was crushed, gone.  
  
She never thought of herself as a girly girl type. Her mother had lived her life as a single mom, with no desperate need for a mans attention and she was the same way, but she also saw the hurt in her mothers eyes, and sometimes, loneliness. She wanted to have a husband, she wanted to have children, she just didn't know if it was possible.  
  
And that dream. God, it had been so weird. She had gone to bed completely exhausted, having spent the entire night with her mom, wondering around the town before coming back and watching movies until 3 am. The next day would be sunday, so she would be allowed to sleep in as much as she wanted, but she didn't have a Tristan thought all day, all week for that matter. It's not like he took hold of her thoughts before all this, and out of no where came this really amazing dream, that held the power to completely destroy everything.  
  
That little girl. She suspected it was Tristan's little sitter, but she'd never heard him or anyone ever speak of Tristan having any siblings. But the way he handled her, the way he smiled at her, the way he looked when he was around her completely blew her mind, and surprisingly, lifted her heart. It brought him to a completely different light in her mind, and she smiled just thinking about it.  
  
Whatever Tristan was, it was sure he was an actor. And a damn good one at that.  
  
  
  
  



	2. One lonely star, you don't know who you ...

**One Lonely Star, You Don't Know Who You Are**  
Chapter 2  
  
  


  
Pushing himself up into a sitting position on his bed, Tristan ran his well formed fingers through his tangled hair and forced his eyes to open. Frankly, 5:00 am is just too early to wake up in his opinion. Slamming his hand down on his alarm clock, he enjoyed the moments of silence before pushing himself up from his bed and blindly making his way towards his bathroom. Rubbing a hand over his face, he turned the shower on hot and removed his clothes from his toned body.   
  
He hated mornings, he just hated them.  
  
Stepping inside the shower slowly, he shut the glass door and let the warm water run freely over his body. He had gotten barely any sleep last night. After taking his little cousin Juliet home last night, around 6:00, he went to the country club and worked out a few hours in the gym, doing his best to relieve some of the tension from his body, and the thoughts from his head. This year at Chilton had been harder than others, and he wasn't quite sure why. Many of his friends had noticed the slight changes in him, teased him and asked him about it, but all it did was let him know he was slipping. Damn, he hated his friends.  
  
Okay, not technically. He enjoyed their company when it was just them, outside of school walls and away from all the pressure to be a Chiltonie. At Chilton, they all put on a face, of being proper, being rich, and he hated it. Though he loved it at the same time.  
  
Resting his head against the cool tile wall, he let the warm water trail over his neck and down his bare back, taking all the last bits of sleep with it down the drain. Without moving his head, he reached over and grabbed the sweet smelling soap and lathered it up in his hands before running it over his chest and abs. He welcomed the scent from his body and forced himself to move into a standing position, washing off his arms and shoulders. Stepping under the shower, he allowed the water to rinse him off before he started in on his hair.  
  
Sometimes, he'd give anything to be a normal kid going to a normal highschool. To date a cheerleader with no brains, or maybe date the science geek. To be on the football team and go to low budget dances. To be able to wear whatever he wanted, to be able to study only one hour a night and be able to pass without giving it a second thought. Drive a 78' bug to school, paint pealing and a bad exhaust problem. Just to know what it felt like to be normal for one day, just to be anyone other than himself.  
  
Turning off the shower, he opened the now steamed glass door and stepped out, not bothering to grab a towel. Wiping the steam away from the mirror with his hand, he stared as his naked body in the mirror. He had worked hard for this body, swimming, playing sports, working out, and it had all come to good use. Girls flocked to him, even in his Chilton uniform. His broad shoulders and slim, toned arms were a golden color, the remains of a perfect summer tan still lingering on his skin. Slim waist, perfect abs. He had worked for it all, and it had gotten him all the girls he'd ever wanted. Only problem was, that's all they were interested in. If it wasn't his arms or abs, or some part of his body, it was his eyes or his hair. The sad thing is, soon he began to only care about those things on a girl. They made him as shallow as they were. All he cared about in a girl was butts, breasts and straight white teeth. It didn't matter to him if he had to peel off her makeup after a makeout session. It didn't matter to him if he wasn't able to find a girls brains under the half a can of hair spray she had used that morning. He wanted a girl as beautiful as he was on the outside, and all the while his insides turned rotten.  
  
Running his hand over his chest, he trailed a small pinked scar. It had happened last summer, only 3 months ago. The wounds had healed, but the scar was a perfect reminder of his memory of that day. It wasn't something he enjoyed talking about, much less thinking about, and no one other than his family had found out what happened. He followed the scar down his chest to where it ended on his hip. He hadn't been close to anyone since it happened, physically that is, so no one ever asked either. When he went swimming now it was always in his own private pool, away from wondering eyes. He doubted anyone would really care what had happened to him, only what had flawed his perfection  
  
Ha! If they only knew. He was far from perfect, and he loved that about himself. Forget the piercing blue eyes, the styled hair, the pouty lips. He didn't care about those things anymore. He was flawed, and he loved it and he hated that he couldn't show it. Why couldn't people just know the real him? The person he was when he was alone.  
  
  


*_Say your lines but do you feel them  
Do you mean what you say when there's no one around*  
_

  
  
They'd most likely die of shock from the things that would come out of his mouth. The thoughts, the opinions. His parents would disown him and he'd be less popular then Vanilla Ice. And would he care? Most likely. He may have improved in mental thinking and being open minded but he wasn't blind. Highschool was hell unless you were popular, and even then it was just the smallest step up from hell. He wasn't about to throw away 12 years of work, 12 years of perfecting his image just because he had 'seen the light', as they say. No, he would stay the Tristan everyone knew and loved until graduation, go away to college and let himself be free, for the first time in his life.  
  
Finally, grabbing a towel, he dried his now cold skin, running the towel over the little goose bumps. Tying the damp towel around his waist, he walked back into his bedroom and allowed the now slipping towel to fall off, grabbing a pair boxers from the top drawer of his dresser. He giggled, holding them up.   
  
_Little stars. Perfect._  
  
Slipping them on, he made his way over to his closet and began to pull out his uniform.   
The only thing that scared him was, he had another 2 years of school left, and if he had to stay locked up inside for much longer, he was afraid he'd lose himself, just as quickly as he had found it. So he started hanging out with his little cousin, Juliet. Hell, she was only 6, and completely beautiful. Teenage boys would be following her around when she turned 16, asking her for dates, saying sweet things to win her over. Guys like himself. The thought of it made him shutter.   
  
He would have to warn her about that when she was older, he concluded.   
  
She was good for him, she helped him be free, if only for an hour or so, and he found himself slowly falling under the little girls spell. He loved her.  
  
  


*_Watching you, watching me, one lonely star  
[One lonely star you don't know who you are]*  
_

  
  
Dressing slowly, he managed to put all his clothes on properly and tie his tie without making himself feel to incompetent. He wasn't ready to go to school yet, but looking at his watch, he knew he only had 30 minutes until the bell rang, and even though it only took him 10 minutes to drive there, he had to make his rounds and put up appearances before the first bell.   
  
Sighing, he grabbed his book bag and shrugged it over his shoulder before heading out his door, through the long hall way and down the massive stairs. He grabbed his keys off the door table and made his way out to his car, praying that this day would go by quickly. With any luck at all, his homework load would be light and he'd have the rest of his day to do whatever he pleased. His parents had gone on a month long trip through out Europe, and frankly he couldn't have been happier. The house was his, and his for a month. He could send the help home and run around naked for all he cared. He smirked to himself as he threw his bag into the back-seat. You know, he just might have to try that.  
  
Putting in his Incubus CD, he started the car and screeched out of the long driveway and made his way to school.  
  
"Well, I just hope today isn't boring."  
  
  



	3. Get to the part where you're breaking my...

** Get To the Part Where You're Breaking My Heart**  
Chapter 3  
  
  
  


He was late.  
  
Not that that's a new thing with him. No, no wait, that wasn't right. He was always late for class, but never school. Yes, yes, that's right. She leaned her hip agaisnt one of the benches placed along the hallway and watched the main entrace, remembering on many accounts, Tristan's lean frame slinking into the class room, grinning sweetly at the teacher as he made his way to his desk. The way he'd throw a charming wink at the closest blonde as he walked by. The way he was completely confident, not in the least bit worried about getting a detention or-  
  
"Morning beautiful." The soft voice near her ear whispered seductively, tickling the tender skin under her hair. Jumping slightly, she whipped around and stared at the person straight in the--chest? Moving her eyes upward, she trailed over the pressed white shirt, perfectly tied tie, and the smooth, tanned skin on the persons neck.  
  
"You scared me," She whispered, completely surprised by her lack of bite.  
  
Tristan grinned softly, the same one she wished she could smack off his face most of the day, and slowly walked backward. "My deepest apologies, fair Mary. Methinks you should lay off the coffee," He grinned. "You're a little jumpier than usual, aren't you?" He glanced down at the foam cup in her hand and chucked slightly.  
  
Rolling her eyes sharply, she folded her arms over her chest, bringing the cup closer to her body. "I'm only jumpy when people sneak up behind me and try to make a snack out of my ear." She shot back  
  
He grinned and stared at her with a lazy look in his eye. She shifted uncomfortably for a moment, his gaze burning into her own. He was looking at her as if she was something delicious, something rare. Something extremely exotic and he just had to have a taste. Pursing her lips together, she groaned.  
  
"Well?" She asked, hotly.  
  
He grinned and turned on his heel. "Rory, if I was nibbling on your ear, you'd know it. I also highly doubt you'd be standing." He threw over his shoulder, walking down the hall in that confident manner he held. She watched, wide eyed, as his groupies surrounded him and she was surely forgotten from his mind. She watched him until he was gone, around a corner and pulled herself out of her trance, suddenly aware of her slipping coffee cup.  
  
Glancing down at it, she looked at it disgusted, and threw it in a near by trash can. For some reason, the thought of putting anything in her stomach made her queasy. Raising her chin defiantly, she mustered her courage and made her way down the hallway, only stopping once at her locker before making her way into the classroom, completely unaware that Tristan had been watching her all the while.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Lunch came soon enough. So far her homework load was down to lowest it had been in months, and she guessed it was because Christmas break was coming upon them. Slowly but surely, Christmas was right around the corner. Snow had come a few weeks before, but the muddy leftovers of that were nothing of the Christmas spirit Rory was used to, and she ignored her book for a moment to stare up at the sky, pleading with it to show some sign that it knew it was winter.  
  
Her mother said the best things happen in the snow, and right about now, she needed something along those lines. Hell, she'd settle from something around contentment if great wasn't available.   
  
She sat at one of the far picnic tables in the Chilton courtyard, her lunch forgotten in front of her, book in hand, head phones on. Everyone else was inside, where it was warm. She most likely should be in there too, but when she walked in this afternoon, all the tables were crowded, barely a single seat open much less a table of her own. Usually, she wouldn't have a problem with sharing a table with someone, but she didn't much feel like sitting with someone she didn't know today, worried that they'd really want to make that stupid polite conversation. So she decided to bare the cold, pulled on her coat and gloves and made her way out side. Reading kept her mind off how cold she might have become, but it wasn't all the bad outside anyway.  
  
Looking away from the sky, she focused her eyes back on the book in front of her, sniffling.  
  
"Cold, Rory?" Someone asked behind her, but it went on ignored by Rory, the loud music playing in her ear.  
  
Tristan smirked as he pulled his coat around him tighter, feeling the cold nipping at him through the thin fabric of his shirt. How could she stand it out here? And in a skirt no less.  
  
"Rorrrrrrrry." He teased, completely aware that she couldn't hear him. "R to the O to the R to the Y oh why Rory are you outside?" He asked to the back of her head. He rolled on his heels, wondering if he'd had enough fun with her. He couldn't normally tease her like this, it was even more so childish than what he normally did. Plus, this was innocent. No rude remarks, no double meaning sex talks. Just plan annoyance.  
  
He giggled and raised an eyebrow at himself. Unfolding his arms, he began to dance just the slightest. "Oh Rory, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind. Hey Rory, hey hey, hey Rory!" He turned around after his small lapse in judgment and was surprised to find Rory looking at him, her hand over her mouth, laughter in her eyes.  
  
"You're certifiable." She laughed. She watched as the smallest bit of pink tickled it's way onto his cheeks, wondering if it was coming from the cold or if Tristan Du Grey had actually just blushed.  
  
"I didn't know you were listening. I mean, I didn't think you could hear me. I was just messing around, ya know? Being stupid," He glanced at her for a moment. "I think it's the cold." He finished lamely. He pulled his coat around him and shoved his hands in his pockets. She smiled up at him, her cheeks and nose red from the cold. For the slightest moment, forgetting all her negative feelings towards him.   
  
"Yeah...yeah, must be the cold. Then again, I'm out here and I'm defiantly not dancing." She smiled, and surprisingly, he smiled back. Making his way around the table, he sat across from her.  
  
"I didn't know you were a comedian there, Tristan. That was a great dance too, by the way." She said once he sat down.  
  
Folding his arms in front of him on the table, he leaned on them slightly and looked at her. "How much of that did you actually hear and/or see?" He asked.  
  
She smiled, "I didn't know there was more than the dancing." She watched as he nodded and sighed, probably in relief.  
  
Deciding to save himself from complete embarrassment, he decided to change the subject. "Why are you outside, Rory? It's freezing." He stated, shivering for effect.   
  
She shrugged her slender shoulders. "Too crowded inside. Most likely take me half the lunch period to just find a seat. The other half to keep it. I didn't figure anyone would notice and follow me out." She said, raising an eyebrow at him. He grinned and shrugged slightly, forcing himself to ignore the goosebumps forming on his skin.  
  
"Aren't you cold?" He asked simply. He watched as the soft wind blew through her hair, blowing it over her face and down her neck, back again over her face before she used her hand to remove it, pushing it back over her shoulder.  
  
"You tend to ignore it if you're outside long enough."  
  
He groaned softly and stared at her "Yeah, or you just can't feel it because you're totally numb." She watched as he stood up and moved his way over to her side of the table. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw him sit down next to her, straddling the bench.  
  
"C'mon," He said, opening his coat. She stared at him blankly for a moment, her mind shutting down. He sighed, feeling the cold begin to seep deep into his skin again. "C'mon! I could start a car with my nipples, so will ya hurry up?" He said again, now reaching out, wrapping his bare hands around her waste, pulling her to him. She looked down at his hands, resting peacefully on her stomach. She could feel the soft tingles in her chest, bouncing on her stomach. She almost groaned when he removed them, wrapping the coat around her, pulling her into his chest.  
  
"Just until the bell rings." He said, noticing the tense feel of her body next to his. So close to his. Even through her coat, he could almost pick out every curve on her body. He could feel her, each time she took a breath, her back brushing up against him all the more. Nervously, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling the coat all the way around her small frame, bringing her closer.  
  
She tensed slightly, surprised by his actions. It seemed like it had all happened very slowly, when she knew for a fact it had been done quite quickly. Just a second ago, she was sitting alone, willing the feeling back into her fingers, and now she was wrapped in Tristan's coat, his hard, warm body pressed against hers. She could feel his muscles twitch every once in a while, and she somehow managed to match her breathing pattern to his, feeling his chest against her back. She almost cried out as she felt his arms wrap around her, coming to rest on top of hers. And in that moment, she couldn't recall a time were she felt more warm, more unattached from the word, and more moved by someone's actions.  
  
_  
_

*I've always been in love with you   
I guess you've always known it's true*  


  
  
"This okay?" He whispered, leaning his mouth down to her ear, touching it slightly. She could only nod, her mind still focusing on his breath, tickling her ear for the second time that day.   
  
He rested his chin on her shoulder, making himself more comfortable. He wasn't sure what pushed him to do what he had done, but he had done it, and couldn't be happier that he had. He didn't care if someone saw them, because at that moment noticing someone else within a 100 mile radius seemed impossible. He was doing his best to prove to her that he was human, and that he did in fact have a heart.  
  
"I bet you do this to all your little snow bunnies out at the ski lodge, huh?" She stated, suddenly, her voice soft. His head still on her shoulder, he shook it, not wanting to speak.  
  
"Then how do you know how to do it so well?" She asked. His forehead bunched in confusion. Weren't they just having a peaceful time? Weren't they getting along? Wasn't he being nice to her?  
  
"What's the problem, Rory?" He asked, lifting his head of her shoulder, the moment now ruined.  
  
She shrugged her shoulders simply, pulling away from him slightly. "It just seems like you know exactly what to do to make my mind a complete pile of mush, and you do it the second no one is looking."   
  
She felt the cold the minute he stood up, pulling his body away from hers. "Look Rory, I was just trying to be nice, ok? I don't know where you get off with all this bullshit, but it's not fair." He said, shoving his hands inside the pockets on his coat. The wind had now started to pick up, and it violently blew her long hair around her face.  
  
"I just don't understand _why _you're being so nice Tristan. This is something I've never seen and I'm not sure how to take it! It's not like you've ever really tried before and it defiantly hasn't gone this far. I'm just not used to seeing it!" She spat.  
  
He looked at her simply, pushing the hurt look in his eyes away before she could catch it. Licking his dry lips, he molded them into a sickening smile. She shivered, but she doubted it was from the cold  
  
"I doubt you'll ever be seeing it again." He said cruelly, giving her one final devastating look before turning around and disappearing into the school.  


  
*_You took my love for granted, why oh why  
The show is over, say good-bye  
Say good-bye*_  


  
Slowly, she leaned against the picnic table and pulled the jacket around herself tightly. Suddenly, she felt very cold, inside and out. What the hell was wrong with her? Why the hell had she done that?  
  
Swallowing deeply, she grabbed her book and lunch and made her way inside the school, in a slight daze.  
  
Somehow, she figured her day wasn't about to get any better.   
  



	4. Could you show me, Dear? Something I've ...

**Could You Show Me, Dear? Something I've Not Seen.**  
Chapter 4  
  
  
  


Stepping inside her jeep, Rory forced herself to believe Tristan was the one being the jerk. For the past three and a half hours, she'd been doing that. She knew she was being the bitch, but why should she trust him? A sincere look in his eyes or a kind act wasn't any reason to just forget everything he had done to her before now. For all she knew, he was planning something against her. Another reason for Paris to hate her, another reason to make the boys slap him on the back and congratulate him. Well, it wasn't going to work. Not at all.  
  
But she still had been a bitch.  
  
But maybe that's what he deserved.  
  
Turning on the car, she debated whether or not she should follow him today. Her mind told her no, but it did that every day, and she had grown tired of listening to what her head constantly told her. If she didn't go, she would only have homework to look forward to, but it was Friday, and her homework could be done tomorrow. But then there was also the Christmas party going on in Stars Hollow that her mother had talked her into going to. She didn't want to go, of course, knowing Dean would be there. She talked with Lane about Dean ever once in a while. Asked her, shyly, how he was doing and what he was up to. He had gone out with a few girls, a few dates but Lane assured her it was only that, and no girlfriends as of yet.  
  
Relationships were hell. Too much work, too much pain. She guessed it was in her genes, seeing as her mother had problems with them too. Maybe she could grow up to be like her mother. Single, independent. She handled it well, seemed to enjoy it. She'd have her days at Harvard, and then her career. So no, she really didn't need a boyfriend.  
  
At least not now.  
  
Pursing her lips together, she decided to follow him anyway. Every Friday for Tristan was different, and she wondered what he had planned for the night. No doubt another date with another girl who could count her IQ on her figures. That is, if she could count that high. She smiled softly, feeling just the slightest bit free.  
  
  
Tunes. She needed some tunes. Nothing could bring out feelings and emotions like music, no matter what kinds you were having. Retrieving her collection of CD's out from under the passenger seat, she began shuffling through them.  
  
_Britney Spears? Eh...No._  
  
_Nickelback? ...Not right now._  
  
_Backstreet Boys?_   
  
Wrinkling her nose up, she wondered how the hell that got into her car and tossed it out the window, narrowly missing some guys head.   
  
_Incubus?_  
  
Smiling, she slid the CD out of it's home and slipped it in the CD player. She wandered through the songs for a moment, before settling on what that seemed fitting  
  
Pulling out of the Chilton student parking lot, she pulled the car onto the street that Tristan drove home on, and pulled over into one of the side streets. It was full of trees, and even though bare from winter, they still were very thick and easy to hide behind.  
  
"I don't wanna talk to you anymore, I'm afraid of what I might say..." She sang softly, waiting to see his car fly by in front of her. She drummed her slender fingers on the steering wheel, finding herself being pulled into the hard sound coming from her speakers. She wished she could sing, it sure would make the whole waiting period a little more fun. But she couldn't, but decided it didn't matter and sang along anyway, picking up a slight bit of head banging also.  
  
"I bite my tongue everytime you come around, I'm afraid of what I might say..."  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Waving and smiling at all the people surrounding his car, Tristan mentally wished they would all just go away. School was over, hadn't they had enough of acting like asses in front of him yet? He forced himself to smile at the girl in front of him as she asked him what he was doing tonight.  
  
"What am I doing tonight? Hmm, well... how about you?" He grinned, pushing away the sickening feeling in his stomach. He watched as the girl didn't even blush, but cast her eyes down his body, biting her full lower lip, approving of what she saw. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he leaned against his car door.  
  
"Actually, I've got plans. Family thing, you know." He said as sweetly as possible, watching her face fall. Keeping himself from rolling his eyes, he stuck out his bottom lip in a mock pout and waiting for her to smile.  
  
And she did. "Well, alright. But don't forget about me next week, you owe me." She winked and turned around, making sure he'd watch her as she went. Sucking his lip back in, her pushed off his car and opened the door.  
  
"What was her name again?" He asked to a guy standing next to him. He just laughed and shrugged before returning his attention back on his own ditz in front of him.   
  
"Later guys. See ya next week. Hey, and good luck on the game, Potter!" He said, stepping inside his car, shutting it before anyone else could start talking to him. All he wanted to do, was go home. No one would be there today, except for maybe a maid or two, scattered around doing whatever. That left him to himself tonight, no plans, no dates. Of course, when he said he family plans earlier, he wasn't lying. He fully intended to listen to any phone messages from his parents, maybe even go over to his aunt and uncles tonight, see what Juliet was doing.  
  
Starting his car, he listened to the CD player load it's self up, starting where it had left off when he turned it off this morning. Screeching out of the parking lot, he made his way down the road to him home, bobbing his head to the lyrics.  
  
_There's something about the look in your eyes  
Something I noticed when the light was just right  
It reminded me twice that I was alive  
And it reminded me that you're so worth the fight  
  
_He strummed his strong fingers on the steering wheel, listening intently to the song. Wishing it hadn't, his mind drifted towards Rory, and this afternoon. He had felt more at peace and more free when he was just sitting there with her. He didn't have to be entertaining her, he didn't have to be flirting with her or making sly remarks to flatter a her. He just had to sit there, relaxed and daydreaming. He thought it had been perfect, completely fresh and new for him. Something he hadn't felt in so long he'd forgotten things like that existed. He'd forgotten about the school around him, and all the fake people inside. He'd forgotten about his parents, about his pressures, about his fears and his wishes.  
  
He'd forgotten how to feel all the pain that was going on in his life and it was all because she was willing to sit there with him, willing to let him just sit there with her. Willing to just allow him to be himself.  
  
Or at least he had thought so. For those few moments he had been granted, she had allowed him to be whatever. Then she changed. Everything from the way she held her body to the way she spoke to him, she had changed, and he felt his world turn cold again, he felt his fears and pressures flood back into his head, and he felt the door being slammed, being locked. He searched for a time when he had felt so cold and hurt inside, so angry with someone and it scared him that he compared her to that. To _them_.  
  
_Ooh, yeah...My biggest fear will be the rescue of me  
Strange how it turns out that way...  
  
_He allowed his foot to lay heavier on the gas, and he watched as his speed reached well over the speed limit. How could she? _Her. _Everything he thought she was, everything he praised her silently for being, was trash now. He had never expected her to do such a thing to him. Anyone else, and he would have been waiting for it, and that's why he never allowed himself to be in that sort of situation with them, but he allowed himself this time and look where it got him. Crushed.  
  
_Could you show me, Dear?  
Something I've not seen  
Something infinitely interesting  
  
_Slamming on his breaks to make a stop sign, he forced his temper to cool down. She was just like everyone else, and that shouldn't surprise him.  
  
It shouldn't have hurt him as much as it did, either.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_  
_ She had seen his car speed by, like normally and pulled back out onto the street, following behind him at a reasonable distance. There was a car between him and her, and it calmed her nerves a little that he wasn't going to be able to recognize her car.  
  
The songs on the CD had changed numerous times, but she had ignored most of the lyrics, too focused on her thoughts. She had tried to just listen to the music and forget the day, but it was impossible.  
  
"Stupid, Rory."  
  
_His fault, Rory. Don't blame yourself. He would have hurt you, you just put a stop to it.  
  
_"Who said he would do something that would cause him to hurt me?" She spoke to herself, her forehead scrunched up in confusion.  
  
_Who says he wouldn't?  
  
_She sighed and rubbed her forehead. Talking to herself again. She needed a nap, or something.  
  
Turning up the music to drown out the sounds of her persistent mind, she focused on the now soft beats coming through her speakers. She had always liked this song. It had a nice beat to it, calming almost. She smiled.  
  
_There's something about the way you move  
I see your mouth in slow motion when you sing  
More subtle than something someone contrives  
  
  
"_Your movements echo that I have seen the real thing..." She sang softly, her mind wondering slightly, her face fallen. Tristan had tried to be nice, and truth be told, when she had compared to how she felt wrapped up in Deans arms, and how it felt to be in Tristan's, she had found that she liked both. They were both different, and pulled different feelings out of her.  
  
Dean was safe. He was normal, he was constant and always there when she had needed him. She had grown accustom to the feel of his kisses and his arms around her. The safe feeling, the warmth and the comfort.  
  
But with Tristan it was different. It was settling, it was relaxation. It was complete freedom. With Dean, there was no problem with being herself and having no fear in that, but with Tristan it was something new, something to be nervous about, but she wasn't afraid either. Complete freedom.  
  
He had shown himself to be a completely different person then she was used to. And yes, there were small moments that she had picked up on and that was the whole reason she was doing what she was doing, following him around, and she had seen it, right there at lunch. Then again, she ruined it completely but it wasn't expected. She didn't expect him to just come outside and show a completely different Tristan to her.  
  
A damn her if it didn't interest her.  
  
"Well, you got that right boys." She said to the CD player, stopping at the stop sign in front of her. She had a feeling she had seen the real thing in Tristan today, and she grinned.  
  
"Well, Incubus knows it all."  
  
  
  



	5. Light are low, the curtains down

Chapter 5  
  
  


  
Pulling his car into his Aunt Hermione and Uncle Harry's driveway, he hopped out of his car and shut the door, suddenly in a much better mood.   
  
When he had gone home after school, he was correct in finding his house empty. He fixed himself something small to eat, and sat right there on the kitchen counter and did so. When his parents were home, he'd never be allowed to do that. Considering if they ever themselves walked into a kitchen to find him like that. The house had been to quiet, so he had put on some music, but barely listened to it.  
  
Finally getting bored, he ignored the eight number blinking on his answering machine and left the house, deciding to visit his cousin. Maybe he could take her out again tonight, McDonald's or something like that.  
  
His Aunt and Uncle were completely different from his parents. They weren't as rich, although they had their fair share of money. They didn't flash it around like his parents didn't and they didn't allow themselves to be apart of the high society. They had just recently moved out to Hartford, Harry having gotten a job at one of the local law agency's.  
  
His uncle was a terrific lawyer. An honest lawyer, and sadly that was rare in this day and age. His father wanted him to become a lawyer, but silently Tristan had refused, completely uninterested in the world of the law.  
  
Making his way up the walkway to his Aunt and Uncles home, her marveled in how homey it actually looked, how lived in it seemed to be, even from the outside. Completely different from his house, which looked like a movie set, a museum.  
  
Knocking on the door, he shoved his cold hands into his pockets and waited.  
  
"Who is it?" He heard a small voice ask from behind the door. He smiled. Clearing his throat, he spoke: "It's Petter Pan."  
  
He heard her giggled through the thick oak door, and listened and she fumbled with the lock, and waited for the door to open. When it did he wasn't surprised to find her standing there, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"Hey Tink, I say we go cause some trouble. Whadda say?" She grinned and nodded her head, her hair bouncing. "Fairy dust, please." He said, bending over slightly, smiling at her. She giggled and pretended to sprinkling fairy dust over the both of them. "You ready?" He asked, placing his fists on his hips, the standard Peter Pan posture. She nodded her head vigorously. Swooping down, he picked her up swiftly, throwing her over his shoulder. Sticking her arms out to her sides, they both made swooshing sounds over and over as he walked through the hallway of her house, stopping in the living room, greeted by the smiles of his aunt and uncle  
  
"Mommy! Look! Tristan took me flying again, and he's Petter Pan and I'm Tinkerbelle!" She squealed excitedly. Aunt Hermione smiled, matching the excitement of her daughter.  
  
"Well, where's Wendy?" She asked, grinning at Tristan, winking, which managed to spring a slightl blush to his cheeks.  
  
"Wendy's off in the real world, knitting or something like that." Setting down his cousin, Tristan took a seat next to his uncle, and got settled just in time to catch Juliet as she jumped onto his lap.  
  
"Mommy and Daddy are taking me to a Chwistmas fair tonight." She said, clapping her hands together in her lap, grinning proudly. Widening his eyes, playing along with her excitement, her smiled widely.  
  
"Really? Wow! Are you going to play games?" He asked. She nodded her head vigorously, closing her big blue eyes.  
  
"And are you going to win me a stuffed animal?" He asked again  
  
She grinned at him and shook her head no. "No? No! Harmph! I'm hurt, Juliet." He laughed and began tickling her, laughing harder when she squealed for him to stop, but she kept on giggled harder and harder, her cheeks pinking.  
  
"You should come with us Tristan. I'm sure Juliet would love it if you would come." His Aunt Hermione said, smiling at the two. Tristan tickled Juliet a few more times before looking up at his aunt.  
  
"Sure, what time?" He asked, setting Juliet back into a sitting position on his lap  
  
"Six. You have to drive yourself, though, sorry to say. Juliet is bringing a friend and I'm afraid the cars only a four-seater."  
  
He nodded and grinned down at his cousin. "You want me to come?" He asked. She smiled and nodded her head, and kissed his cheek, making a large smacking sound. He laughed and nodded.  
  
"Alright, I guess that means I'm coming. Where is it?"   
  
"Stars Hollow. Right in the middle of town. I go to business school with one of the women that lives in that town, and she told me about it. Said it should be a lot of fun..." She continued on, not noticing that Tristan's face had fallen slightly.  
  
_Stars Hollow? Rory's town? Holy Hell.  
  
_He nodded his head again, more for himself than anyone else. "Alright, I'll be there. I should get home and change though." He looked down at Juliet, "I'll see you there, alright? Give me a kiss." She leaned up and kissed his on the lips, again making an overly dramatic smacking sound. Picking her up, he set her on the couch in the spot he had just emptied and waved to his family before making his way toward to the front door.  
  
"Well, tonight should be interesting."  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Having followed Tristan to his home, and followed him again to another much smaller one, Rory began to grow bored. Apparently, Tristan decided this Friday night wasn't worth a date because he was doing absolutely nothing. Plus, the jeep was freezing and she kept shivering. She had turned the car off the save the battery, knowing that she had been keeping it on way to much lately. So there she sat, in the cold, in the silence, watching Tristan's completely empty car.  
  
Sighing, she reached over and started the car, noticing it took a little bit longer, and it made a funny _clung clung clung _sound before it fully started up. Praying it wouldn't quit on her ride home, she pulled off the curb and made her way back to the main highway.  
  
Hartford was a nice enough town. Big, but still very pretty. Lots of trees, lots of snow. Plenty of character. Not as much as Stars Hollow, but she highly doubted any town had as much character as Stars Hollow. People always seemed to be in a hurry, no matter where they were going or how they go there. Cutting her off on the road, people runnning across the street even with a car there, taking other peoples taxi's. It wasn't some place she could imagine living in. Not now, at least.  
  
The drive from Hartford to Stars Hollow was one that consisted of a two lane highway, no stop lights, no stop signs and no rests stops. It was only a 45 minute drive from either town, but at night, it was a little creepy. Almost completely deserted, and most defiantly completely dark, the street tended to give off a horror movie vibe, and the last thing you'd ever want to happen would be to get stuck on this road, in the winter, in the dark.  
  
And that's exactly what Rory had managed to pull off.  
  
Twenty minutes into her drive, Rory had noticed what looked like an injured deer, walking across the road. She almost had to slam on her breaks to avoid hitting it. She watched as it stared at her for a moment before it limped down across the road and back into the forest. Memories of her previous experience with a deer, she pulled her car over to the sided of the road and turned it off. She only wanted to see if it would make it the rest of the night, or even it just got away from the road. If it had collapsed right when it walked into the forest. Something  
  
Making her way towards the spot were she thought it had entered, she did her best to look around in the dark, but saw nor heard any sound of the deer and sighed. Figuring there was nothing she could have done anyway, she made her way back to the jeep and started it up. Or at least, she tried. Four or five times she tried and got nothing but the _re-re-re-re_ of a dead engine.  
  
Taking a few deep breaths, Rory forced herself to calm down, while mentally beating herself up for not taking the cellphone when her mother offered it to her this morning. Deciding that it was be best to stay in the car and wait for someone to pull over and help her, she pulled her jacket around her, doing her best to keep all the warmth inside.   
  
"Alright, Rory. It'll only be a few minutes before someone drives by and helps you. You wont be here long. You wont be here on the dark, cold, scariest road in the world for much longer. Just...think of something else." She whispered to herself, a little worried at the fact that she could now see her breath.  
  
"Think about something else. Think about something else. Like, why this jeep hates me so much. Why my brain is slowly starting to play the theme to Jaws. Why I'm making too big a deal out of this."  
  
She tapped her foot on the car floor, and bit her bottom lip. Twenty minutes had pasted by, and she had only seen one car and it didn't even slow down. Although when she got out to wave it down, a guy stuck his head out the window and threw a beer bottle at her, it shattered agaisn't the jeep, small shards of glass hitting her. He had been shouting something she was unable to understand and cat calling her. It might have been a very small thing, but it scared her, and she jumped back into her car, praying they wouldn't turn around and come back for her.  
  
Even though her jacket was somewhat thick, the cold air around her how somehow managed to get colder, and was seeping through the material and sinking into her skin. She tried to force herself to quit shivering, but all the did was strain her muscles and make her even more cold.  
  
Gulping deeply, she decided her only option now was to get out and walk, and hope she was either found and helped, or made it to her town before she died, frozen to the street. Grabbing her backpack from the passenger seat, she opened the door, and locked it, just in case. Breathing deeply, and taking one last longing look at the jeep of protection, she began walking on the white line.  
  
It was completely quiet outside, except for the small noises the animals made every once in a while. Snow crunching, a twig breaking, and everytime something like that happened, Rory seemed to jump higher than the last. She wasn't sure why she had begun to freak out, but she had guessed it was the fact that it was dark, that it was cold and eerie and that her mother had made her watch way to many scary movies over the past few years, and they were all starting to creep back into her memory, telling her someone was walking behind her was a chainsaw, or ready to grab her and stuff her into a wood chipper.  
  
Clinging to jacket, she closed her eyes for a brief moment and willed herself to gain control. No one was out here with her except for the animals. No one was behind her ready to kill her, and defiantly no one was dragging a wood chipper behind them.  
  
Then she heard a twig snap right behind her and she jumped, and spun around quickly, her eyes wide. That was the final straw. She swallowed, and wished she had eight more eyes to see everything around her. Preferably ones that could see in the dark.  
  
Taking a few calming breaths, she nodded to herself and started walking again.  
  
"I've seen fire and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end. I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend..." She sang softly, her voice shaking from the cold. She could no longer feel her fingers or toes, and she knew her legs were giving up their strength much quicker than before.  
  
"...but I always thought that I'd see you again..." She watched as the dim lights of head lights hallowed around her, as they started to get brighter.  
  
In the back of her mind, and insane voice kept tormenting her, calling to her.  
  
_Killer. Murder. Death. Chainsaw. Woodchopper. Masks. Rape. Death.  
  
_Her eyes widening, she turned to see the car was closing in on her, her mind telling her it looked exactly like the one that had pasted before, and the driver had no doubt seen her, because he started to slow down. Turning, completely unthinking, she ran into the forest and hide behind a bush, sitting on her knees, only covered in those thin blue tights.  
  
She closed her eyes and rocked slightly, wishing whoever it was would get bored and go look for someone else to kill. Her ears perked up as she heard a car door slam, and she squeezed her eyes shut tighter, the small trickling of tears making their way down her cheeks. Silently she prayed it wasn't the drunk man who had passed her earlier, remembering she was out there and alone.  
  
"Rory?" A voice called from far away and above her. Her eyes snap opened, and she wished she could open her ears wider to hear better.  
  
"Rory? Are you out here?" The voice called, and she picked up on a small bit of worry. Licking her dry lips, she stood up, her knees shaky from the cold, her skirt mostly wet from the snow. She waited to hear the warm voice again.  
  
"Rory! If you're out here, answer me! Damnit!"  
  
Relieved, Rory broke into a huge smile. "Tristan!" She called, her voice shaking. She stood up fully, allowing herself to be seen. She watched as his body ran down through the clearing, and as soon as she could fully she him, she ran towards him. When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, never more happy to see him in her life.  
  
Surprised, Tristan wrapped his arms around her, letting his hand run over her hair in a soothing motion. "It's okay. You're safe. It's okay..." He whispered softly into her hair. He could feel her shaking, but he wasn't sure if it was because she was scared or cold. It had sent chills down his back as her freezing hands made contact with the back of his bare neck.  
  
"Are you okay? Are you hurt? God Rory, you're freezing. How long have you been out here. I saw your jeep a while back." He stated, trying to pull her away a little, but she wouldn't let go of her hold on him, and even held him tighter. "Rory, I just want to see if you're Okay." He said softly.  
  
"I am cold." She whispered, barely inaudible. He nodded against her hair and pushed her back gently, willing her up to his car.   
  
"There's a blanket in the car." He said simply, and he felt her nod against him.  
  
"This is going to sound so girlie, Tristan but...Please don't let me go. Not yet, please." She whispered.  
  
He only nodded slowly, and rubbed his hand over her back.   
  
"I won't. Not until you tell me to, I won't." He pulled her even closer, doing his best to warm her like he had done only this afternoon. "Come on, I'll take you to Stars Hollow."  
  
He leaned his cheek agaisnt her hair as he lead her towards his car, completely unnerved by the sick feeling in his stomach. The sick feeling he had gotten when he saw her jeep, abandoned on the side of the road. The sick feeling he had gotten when he couldn't find her. The sick feeling he got when he thought he couldn't protect her. And the strange feeling that he wanted, more than anything, to be the one to protect her.  
  



	6. Say your lines but do you feel them

  
  


Chapter 6  
  
  
  


He drove silently, his cold fingers gripping the steering wheel. They had only been driving for 10 minutes, and she had fallen asleep 5 minutes into it. He couldn't seem to get the look of shock on her face out of his mind, the way she felt pressed against him, shaking and crying. He had led her up to the car, and he had to pry her fingers away from his shirt as he went to grab the blanket from the trunk. Wrapped it around her, he had wondered if he should kiss her forehead, before letting her step inside the warmth of his car. His mother had done it to him many times before, to calm him, comfort him, but he wasn't sure it would be welcome. She might have been shaking from the cold, but he was shaking as well, from fear. It did nothing but calm his mind when he found her. His heart was still beating rapidly, his hands still shaking. He watched her as she laid her head against the window, wrapping the black blanket around her small frame and pulling her knees up to her chest. He hadn't said a word.  
  
Mostly because words wouldn't come to him at the moment. He was glad she had falling asleep, now he didn't have to worry about comforting her, because he had no idea how to. He didn't have to worry about trying to be the strong male, because he had no idea if she would accept that. So, he just drove, glancing over at her ever so often to check if she was still sleeping and if the blanket was still tightly wrapped around her.  
  
He wasn't sure how he was going to handle tonight. This afternoons thoughts still ran through his head. The way she had treated him, the way she had reacted. He wasn't willing to forgive her yet. The words and her actions still stung at his heart, and frankly he was embarrassed to be around her. It saddened him to think he actually regretted his actions around her, regretting ever letting his guard down, just for her. He'd made plenty of mistakes in his life, and this was just one more to add to that already full list. He was hurt, and he knew himself. His pride wouldn't let her get away with it. Forgiveness, even with her, would have to be earned.  
  
"I guess that goes both ways." He said softly, gripping the steering wheel, ringing his hands around it nervously. He wished he could turn on the radio or something, anything to get out of the complete silence. He had never done well in silence. To others it could be completely relaxing and comforting, to him it was the exact opposite. Silence made him nervous. Bad things happened in the silence. Bad things could always happen in the silence.  
  
Suddenly, a piercing cry tore through his car, and he jumped. Grabbing his chest with one hand, he sighed, releasing the tension from his body and reached for the still screaming cell phone beside him before it had a chance to wake Rory up.  
  
"Tristan." He stated.  
  
"It's me," The voice said. Tristan swallowed, wondering why they had to call him now. It had been months since he'd heard from them. "Look, we need you." The voice said, it's scratchy tone making Tristan wince slightly.  
  
"I'm busy. I can't come. I _won't _come." Tristan spoke, his lips tight.  
  
"Come on, you're one of my best. We _need _you. Don't make me remind you of how lucky you are..." The voice trailed off, the slight twinge of a threat lingering. "I haven't ask a favor of you in months, Tristan. You owe me." Tristan sighed and did his best to keep himself from slamming his fist down on the steering wheel. He glanced over at Rory. Pure innocence, he was sure of it. He tried to think of a day when he looked like that, completely untouched.  
  
"I owe you shit, and you know that. You may think you're the ruler of this game but I know how to play too, so don't come calling me, threatening me. Don't try that with me, or I swear, you'll get fucked."  
  
The voice on the other line laughed. A harsh, raspy, empty laugh of pure sickness. "You promise? Don't tease Tristan. Don't promise a fucking if you can't come through with it."  
  
Tristan's lips curled up into a snarl, and he mentally counted to ten, knowing it wouldn't do any good. "Look, I'm through, all right? Take my number out of your book, and burn it. Don't call here again, don't expect me to show up. I did what I said I would, and that was it. This was a one time deal. Don't call again expecting more. You've gotten what you wanted."  
  
"Tristan, Tristan, Tristan... Your father is a business man. You are in demand and there is a major profit to be made here. Just one more time, buddy. I promise. It's only an hour drive."  
  
"Your promises are as good as shit to me. I said no. Don't call again." Tristan spat, his body shaking again. He ripped the phone away from his ear and turned it off, throwing it in the back-seat.  
  
Mistakes always come back to haunt you, no matter how well your daddy manages to cover them up. Money never solves anything, Tristan knew that from a very young age. The more you give them to hush up, the more they seem to dig, and the more they want.  
  
He glanced up at the road sign in front of him, thankful for that fact that he would soon be there and wouldn't have to be in the silence thinking for much longer.   
  
_Stars Hollow. Next Right_  
  
Slowing down, he realized he had been doing well over 70, and wondered what the speed limit around here was. He glanced over a Rory again, and felt a feeling he'd never felt towards her before. Jealously. He closed his eyes harshly for a slight moment, pushing thoughts that he didn't want to think of away, before turning on the road that would lead him to her home town.  
  
Maybe, if only for just one night, he could be Tristan.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
_She looked around the dark room again, trying her hardest to figure out how she had come about it. It looked the same as last night. Dark, brown walls. A deep, oak bookcase sat in the corner, completely empty of any books. The deep green walls were completely void of any pictures or paintings. There were no light switches, no outlet plugs. Just plain green walls. The oak desk beside the far wall sat alone, no chair and nothing scattered on top. Completely bare and empty. The plush green carpet felt cold and scratchy under her feet, and she wondered why her feet were bare in the first place.  
  
Spotting the door, she made her way over to it. She trailed her shaking fingers over the cool service of the wood, shocked. There was no door handle, no key hole, no way out. It just looked like another part of the wall, a large brown piece of wood, perfectly sculpted and completely unused, laying between the dark green walls. She trailed her fingers over the small breaks between the door and the wall, finding no way to pry it open.  
  
She turned, staring directly at the desk and found there to be no window in the room either. She ran a hand over her forehead, no completely surprised to find a cold sweat laying upon it. There was no way out, she was stuck.  
  
"Rory..." The voice called from behind her, and she turned quickly.   
  
"Dean?" She asked, her brow scrunched in confusion.  
  
"You'll protect me, wont you?" He asked. He stood still, his hands connect in front of him, his eyes looking into hers, awaiting an answer. He was dressed just as he normally would have, and his face held the same, natural way he always held it. She starred at him for a moment. Since when did Dean talk like that?  
  
"Protect you from what?" She asked, stepping towards him slightly. "Are you okay?" She asked. He dropped his head down, now starring at the ground.  
  
"Rory..." Another voice called from behind her, the same tone Dean had used. She turned slowly, her eyes locked on Dean's form for as long as they could be before turning to the site in front of her.  
  
"Tristan?" She cried. He stood, just as Dean had. His hands in front of him, connected.  
  
"You'll protect me, won't you?" He asked.  
  
"Protect you from what? Where are we? What's going on guys?" She turned quickly, trying to look at them both. They said nothing, just stood there, their heads now down.  
  
"Answer me! What's going on!"  
  
And as sudden as an earthquake, the room began to shake furiously. The empty bookcase in the corner didn't move though, nor did the desk. Now that she looked closely, nothing in the room was shaking except the floor, and the three standing on it.  
  
"Answer me!" She cried, before being thrown down the shaking floor.  
  
_  
Rory awoke with a start, finding herself much too hot. She pried a hand out from underneath a massive blanket and pushed the hair that was sticking to her forehead away.  
  
"You're awake?" A voice said beside her, causing her to jump.  
  
"Huh?" She answered, and began looking around, her mind seeming to clear up slightly. She was in Tristan's car, wrapped tightly in a blanket, and her neck hurt furiously.  
  
"We're almost there. Not even 5 minutes I'm sure." He said, glancing over at her again before turning his eyes back onto the road.  
  
Sure enough, he was right. Looking out the window, she spotted the usual signs of her town and relaxed against the seat.  
  
"Are you all right? I thought I heard you whimper, but the heater was going on so loudly, I wasn't sure."  
  
She looked over at him and starred for a moment before shaking her head. "Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm fine, thanks."  
  
"Bad dream?" Tristan asked.  
  
"I'm not sure." She said, lowering her head and starring at her knees, her mind searching for pieces of the dream.  
  
"You're not sure?" He asked, pulling the car into what looked like a completely full town. Lights were lit everywhere, and people were running around with their families smiling.  
  
"Yeah...You know?" She said simply, wrinkling her forehead and she began pulling the blanket out from around her.  
  
He laughed slightly, and she could tell it was slightly forced. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he parked the car.  
  
"I'll help you look for your Mom. She should be here by now, right?" He asked, unbuckling himself and grabbing the blanket from her hands, throwing it into the back seat. She looked at it, crumpled on the floor of the car and nodded her head.  
  
"Yeah. Yeah, thanks." She said. She opened the door and almost wished she still had the blanket wrapped around her. The cold weather hit her full on the face, quickly making her nose and ears cold. She heard the car lock and walked around to the front of it.  
  
"As soon as we find her, I'm going to have to go. I promised my cousin I'd meet her here." He said, looking straight in front of him.  
  
"That's fine." She said simply, and watched him nod his head.  
  
"You sure you're all right?" He asked again, but she knew he meant more than just her dream. She pursed her lips nervously, slightly embarrassed and nodded her head.  
  
"Thank you..." She whispered softly. He nodded his head quickly and turned, walking towards the fair. She had to jog to catch up to him.  
  
"Christmas is a great time." She stated, doing her best to break the tension.  
  
He shrugged his shoulder and looked at the little kids playing with their families. "Yeah, it's great."  
  
He just didn't know where he'd be spending it this year.   



	7. Wish you well, I can not stay

Chapter 7  
  
  
  


  
Tristan walked towards his cousin slowly, holding his finger to his lips, signaling for his Aunt and Uncle to be silent. A slow, teasing smile spread across his lips before he laid his hands over her eyes and grinned at her surprised squeal.  
  
"Tristan!" She cried, laughing loudly. He grinned, spinning her around and catching her as she threw her arms around his shoulders.  
  
"Hey there, kiddo. You having fun?" He asked, balancing her small frame on his hip. She smiled at him and nodded.  
  
"Oh yeah! Tristan, Tristan, look." Juliet said, grabbing Tristan's cheeks with her small hands and forcing his head down. "That's my friend, Elly. Elly, this is Tristan. He's my cousin. He lives in a big house and he has this really neat car, maybe he'll give you a ride sometime. Isn't he cute? All the girls call him a hottie when we're out, and he-"  
  
"Thanks, Juliet, I think she gets it." Tristan laughed and put Juliet down, reaching his hand out to the small girl, who's big blue eyes were glued on him. "How are you?" He asked, placing a charming, welcoming smile on his face. The girl smiled brightly and slipped her small hand into his, barely grasping his and he shook it gently.  
  
"Are you having fun too? Is Juliet being nice to you?" He grinned, the girl blushed and smiled, nodding her head, her blonde hair bouncing around her face.  
  
"Tristan, Tristan!" A small hand grasped his shirt, yanking on it forcefully. Tristan turned to Juliet, gently prying her small fingers away from his shirt and smiled at her.   
  
"What?"  
  
Juliet smiled and pointed over to a both in the far corner. "They have all these neat games, and at that one, you go around in a circle and when they stop the music, you win a cake!" She cried enthusiastically. Tristan pursed out his lips and raised his eyebrows, nodding in approval.  
  
"Oh yeah?" He asked.  
  
His Aunt chuckled beside him, and pulled on Juliet's pony tail gently. "It's a tad more complicated than that." She smiled at her nephew before reaching down and handing Juliet a few tickets. "Baby, why don't you take Elly and go over to that game a play for a moment, okay?"  
  
Juliet took the tickets gladly, and ran as fast as she could to the game her mother had pointed out for her, Elly right on her trail. Tristan watched her for a moment, making sure she got there safely and that the man running the game had her full attention before turning his attention back to his Aunt and Uncle, who were both looking at him, smiling.  
  
He smiled nervously and shoved his hands in his pockets, "What?" He laughed nervously.  
  
His Aunts smile broadened, and she let out a small chuckle before wrapping her arm around Tristan's shoulder and hugging her to him. "You know how happy you are that you're spending time with Juliet? At first, we weren't quite sure what to do with you, but you just seem to fit in now." She laid her head on his shoulder for a moment before giving him a final squeeze.  
  
Tristan smiled softly and looked over at his Uncle for a moment. "I don't think I quite understand. I'm not following."  
  
His Uncle laughed loudly, and slapped a hand down on Tristan's shoulder, almost shoving Tristan forward onto his face. "You're nothing like your father, you know? I pray you don't take that the wrong way, but you're not at all." He laughed loudly again, and Tristan wondered if there was a place his uncle could have managed to get alcohol at this fair.  
  
"Still not following, Uncle Harry." Tristan smirked. His Uncle nodded his head slowly for a minute, as if rolling something over in his mind a time or two.   
  
"What I mean to say, Tristan, is that I'm glad you've become a part of our family. I love your mother dearly, you know, but she's not quite the same since she married your father, and when you were born I was very worried about you. For the first 16 years of your life I was worried about you!" He laughed again and hugged Tristan to his chest, and Tristan managed to smile at all the people who looked over at them nervously.  
  
"Uncle Harry are you drunk?" Tristan laughed, rubbing his ribs.  
  
His Uncle smiled proudly at him and shook his head, "I was completely afraid you'd turn out to be like your father. You know me, I usually don't speak ill of your parents but frankly, they're not that best at being a parent. I was worried you'd turn out to be cold Tristan, and you were for a while, and whatever changed you, is a blessing."  
  
Tristan starred at his Uncle, unable to say anything. His Uncle meant well, and it wasn't as if Harry had hurt Tristan or said anything wrong, but Tristan knew exactly what had changed him, and the memory wasn't a fond one.  
  
He just nodded to his Uncle, did his best to put on a brave face and slapped him on the shoulders a few times "Thanks, Uncle Harry."  
  
"We do love you, Tristan, and Juliet loves you as well. I've never seen her quiet as happy as she is when she's with you." Hermione said, smiling at Tristan.  
  
Tristan smiled, a truly happy smile. "I love you guys too. I'm not quite sure about Uncle Harry, though..." Tristan laughed as Harry gave him a look of playful warning and smiled broadly, Aunt Hermione laughing.  
  
"Harry and I are going to get something to eat that isn't cake. I swear I've already put 5 or 6 of those damn home made cakes into the back of our car. Will you watch over Juliet and Elly for us? It'll only be a little while. We'll be back as soon as we can, I promise." And without needed an answer, Tristan's Aunt looped her arms through her husbands and made their way through the crowd. Tristan smiled after the pair, amazing at how much different they were from his parents, and turned on his heel, making his way towards his little cousin and her friend.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Rory pushed her way through the crowd, doing her best to smile at all the people who waved and stopped her, without rolling her eyes in frustration. All she wanted to do was to get to her mother, and cling to her for the rest of the night.  
  
The last thing she expected was to have that dream again, and with Tristan only a few inches away from her, closed up in a very small car, her body begging for her to get warmth anywhere she could. The mere thought of being that close to him again made her body shiver uncontrollably, and when he left her at his car a few moments ago, the way he acted around her, she knew he was mad at her for what she had done to him this afternoon, and frankly she was mad at herself for handling it so poorly, but it was Tristan! That's how they handled things with each other. They bickered, they fought, they said things they didn't mean, and they were always fine. Well, they were usually fine. There were a few moments were Rory walked away hurt, but never did she expect Tristan to ever be in her shoes like that.  
  
And what gave him the right to just put his arms around her like that? Granted it didn't help that for 10 minutes she completely allowed it, and that's what scared her.  
  
Her dream was slowly coming true. Small, broken piece by piece.  
  
She could see him from where she was standing, where she promised to meet her mother. He was with a small girl, no older than 6, and laughing. His cheeks were slightly pinked by the cold, and the air could be seen leaving his mouth as he laughed.  
  
  
*_Make them laugh, it comes so easy  
When you get to the part  
Where you're breaking my heart [breaking my heart]*  
  
  
_Another small girl approached him, holding up a small trinket of some sort, and Tristan smiled broadly, the little girl giggling. There were many sides of Tristan, and in the time she'd know him she'd seen plenty of them, but she had a feeling there were so many more buried underneath, and this was another one. She'd never seen him with little kids before, and before she could help herself, a small smile spread across her chilled lips as she watched him play with the two small children, grabbing both their hands and walking towards another booth. She'd never thought of Tristan as someone who would be good with kids, but she had been wrong about Tristan a lot.  
  
"Rory!" A voice called out from behind her, and before she could turn around, her mother popped up in front of her, grinning. Her nose wrinkled up slightly as she smiled, it reaching all the way up to her eyes "Isn't this great? It's better than last year, I have to say. Then again, last year half the booths caught on fire, but that was Taylor's fault, as usual." She took a breath and looked over her daughter, her smile still as broad as usual. "So, where ya been?"  
  
Rory smiled at her Mom and shrugged her shoulders. "Around."  
  
Her Mom wrapped her arm around her shoulders and pulled Rory to her, grinning up at the night sky. "Around, huh? Around where?" Her mother pressed.  
  
"Around Hartford."  
  
"Ohh, OK, we're playing that game. All right. Around _where _in Hartford?" Her mother smiled, enjoying the fact that she was getting under her daughters skin.  
  
"Around the North side of Hartford."  
  
"Hmm, well, did you happen to stop by anyone's house? Paris, maybe?"  
  
"Nope, I didn't stop at anyone's house."  
  
"Ah, well, did anyone pick you up?"  
  
Rory looked over at her mother and raised an eyebrow. "No..."  
  
"Oh, hmm, well, tell me, daughter of mine who lies so horribly I'm wondering if she's my daughter at all, where is my jeep?" Lorelai asked, flicking her eyes over to her daughter who's face had fallen slightly.  
  
"I didn't mean too..."  
  
"Didn't mean too, what?"  
  
Rory took a deep breath and pulled her mothers arm off her shoulder, turning to face her. "Well, see, I was driving home from Hartford when this deer ran out in front of me again, and it was limping so I thought it was hurt, so I pulled over thinking maybe I could find it-"  
  
"Thinking you could maybe help this deer? Would this be before it ran away from you, or after it kicked your head off?"  
  
Ignoring her mothers interruptions, Rory continued, "-but of course, I couldn't find it because it was dark and when I got back into the car and turned it on, it wouldn't turn on. So since I didn't have the cell phone-"  
  
"Which I told you to take, by the way."  
  
"-I had no way to contact anyone so I just sat in the jeep and waiting for someone to pass me, but this really freaky drunk guy passed me and after he threw something at me, I knew hitching a ride on that road would be pointless-"  
  
"At least that's one smart thing you've done tonight."  
  
"-I decided to walk-"  
  
"And I take it back."  
  
"-So I started walking and I was freezing cold and I kept hearing this behind me! So, I don't really know why but when I saw this car come up behind me I ran into the woods-"  
  
"You were thinking wood chopper, weren't you? Yeah, me too."  
  
"- and I hid in this bush and my knees got completely wet and muddy but then I heard a voice-"   
  
"A good voice?"  
  
"A good voice. It was Tristan. And to make a long story short-"  
  
"Too late."  
  
"He gave me a blanket and a ride here and your car is still back on the road. I'm sorry."  
  
Lorelai grinned at her daughter and wrapped her arm around her again. "I'll have Luke give me a ride tomorrow morning, we'll go get it. I'm just glad you're safe, and that Tristan was there to find you."  
  
Rory smiled faintly at her mother and nodded. "Strangely enough, so am I. I don't know what I would have done if he hadn't come along. I'd probably be walking along the road, picking up small pieces of my frozen fingers."  
  
Lorelai crinkled up her nose and shook her head. "Weird as that is, I can see it happening."  
  
"Ditto."  
  
"Hungry?"  
  
"Starving!"  
  
"Good, lets get some food. They've got some really great little mini pizza's over-"  
  
"Oh no." Rory moaned, her shoulders stiffening.  
  
"What?" Lorelai asked, doing her best to look in the direction of Rory's gaze. "What?"  
  
"Look." Rory pointed, and Lorelai followed her finger to a booth over across the yard.  
  
Tristan stood, the two little girls behind him, smirking at what looked to be a very, very upset Dean.  
  
"Oh, the parties started!" Lorelai cried, as Rory stomped her way over to where the two boys were standing.  
  
"The fun is about to start. Ladies and Gentlemen if you'll just step this way..."  
  



	8. Do you mean what you say when there's no...

Chapter 8  
  
  
  


Tristan starred at the boy in front of him. Honestly, though he wanted to believe Dean was a horrible guy, he wasn't. He made an honest living, even though to him it was an unbelievably uninteresting way to make a living, it was honest. Still, there was something about him Dean in the back of his mind that didn't sit well with him. A look in his eyes, an arrogance around him. Something both Tristan and Dean had, only Dean managed to hide it from the world, while Tristan fought to overcome his.   
  
"My cousin and her friend want to play this game, and you're going to let them. I gave you the tickets already, and it's your job to let them play. Give them the balls and let them just do it!" Tristan said, his voice becoming louder and more impatient with every word. He wasn't there to start trouble, and frankly, he would have stayed as for away from this booth as possible, but Juliet had picked this booth before he had even started making his way towards her. The sudden urge to rip out his hair overwhelmed him as Dean's glare got even stupider looking.  
  
  
Dean rested his hands on the top of the booth table, and leaned over, daring Tristan to continue the argument. "This is a Christmas gathering for Stars Hollow...Not spoiled rich brats from Harlow who want a taste of the small town life to take home to Mommy. Don't you have a banquet to go to or something?"  
  
  
Tristan fought the urge to jump over the booth and rip Dean's face off. He flexed his hands out at his side to relieve some of the tension and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He would not blow up in front of his little cousin. "You know what? Just give me back out tickets."  
  
Dean smirked, a twinkled glaring in his eyes. "Sorry...I've already torn the tips. They're useless." He tossed the tickets at Tristan, who barely caught them before they fluttered to the ground.  
  
"Tristan? Can we play yet?" Juliet asked, yanking on Tristan's jacket. Her eyes were wide and her lip was out in a pout.   
  
"Why wont he let us play?" She asked, then looked over at Dean and gave him her best innocent look. "Why wont you let us play? Do you need a nap?"  
  
  
Dean starred down at the cute little girl, wondering if he should be offended, then gave her an overly sweet smile before looking back up at Tristan. "Aww, Tristan...is this one of your many daughters? I'm shocked really? I thought you would have left them all to be bastards."   
  
Those who had heard couldn't help but wonder when Dean had become so cruel, and Tristan couldn't believe Dean had crossed that line. To insult not only him, but a small, innocent, little girl. His eyes widened slightly before the returned to a glare that would have frozen hell over. His fists clinched, and he was about to charge at Dean when Rory came out no where, calling his name sweetly and grabbing his hand, yanking him around, and kissing him full on the mouth. His eyebrows shot up, almost running completely off his forehead before he relaxed, realizing exactly what she was planning. The thought of being used only lasted for a moment before he gave in, allowing her hand to snake around his neck, tangling her long fingers into the smooth hair at the base. Following her lead, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, his other hand cradling her head. The kiss was simple, nothing that would steam car windows or cause fireworks, but it most definitely caused steam to fly out of Dean's head.  
  
Rory pulled away, grinning up at Tristan with a playful gleam in her eyes, hoping he'd understand the meaning behind it. "Come on! My Mom wants to buy us dinner...and if we don't go now, she'll buy us dinner and eat it herself." She squeezed his hand and prayed he wasn't going to mess this up, but she knew just how much he wanted to hurt Dean, and the fact that she was not only helping him do it, but started it herself blew her mind. She was becoming more different everyday.  
  
Tristan removed the look of shock in his eyes within seconds, understanding better than anyone the meaning behind Rory's little mind-game with Dean. He smirked softly and licked his lips playfully, knowing the he had finally had one up on Dean. He tossed the torn tickets back at Dean, and he didn't bother to watch them flutter to the ground as Dean made no move to catch them, for he was still glaring in shock at the two. Obviously, he had missed something, and that didn't sit well with him at all.   
  
Giving Dean a quick blank look over her shoulder, Rory pulled on Tristan's hand to make him move as he grabbed a hold of Juliet's hand, who held onto her friends hand just as tightly. Tristan turned and looked at Dean over his shoulder, a Cheshire cat grin playing on his lips, a twinkle of mocking in his sparkling blue eyes.  
  
*_Hide behind your smile..  
All the world loves a clown  
(Just make 'em smile the whole world loves a clown)*_  
  
  
  
He had finally gotten the girl.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Rory couldn't stop her eyes from practically popping out of her head. Never in her life had she been so cruel and bold. She had just humiliated Dean in front of the whole town- in front of Tristan! The simple fact that Dean had been a complete, unreasonable jerk seemed to be over looked for the moment, because even if Dean had been a complete asshole tonight, Rory had been acting completely out of character.  
  
And kissing Tristan? What was she thinking?  
  
Truthfully, she hadn't really been thinking anything else but getting Tristan away from Dean, and the first thought that popped into her head (though, probably not the smartest one) was to kiss Tristan to shut them both up. Thankfully, or maybe not so thankfully, it had worked. She could still taste a small bit of mint on her lips.   
  
"Oh darling, sweet, Rory...Could that have been a better performance? I'm impressed." Tristan commented behind her, his hand still in her as she literally dragged him across the snowy grass. She could picture the smirk playing upon his lips, and couldn't help but roll her wide eyes.  
  
"Yes, Tristan, I know. Shall I take a bow now, or wait till later?"  
  
Tristan opened his mouth to respond, but was stopped when Rory yelled, "Mom!", his arm almost being yanked out of his socket, and he had to make sure the little girls following were able to catch up as Rory quickened her pace and met up with a rather tall, beautiful older lady.  
  
"Nice work hunny, there wasn't an eye in the place that wasn't on you two star-crossed lovers. I must say, I'm impressed by the way you handled that." Her mother's eyebrows raised, clearly showing her sarcasm.  
  
"Just practicing to be the town joke." Rory groaned, yanking her hand out of Tristan's, who was still grinning.  
  
"You're off to a great start, kid. May I ask who will be joining you as the lead in that joke?"  
  
Rory fought to get her tongue moving. Introducing Tristan to her Mother was something she never planned to do, and now that the time had come, she definitely didn't want to. Tristan would now be a part of her life, now that her Mother would be meeting him. Her Mother was smart, and a very good judge of character, but once she met someone, anyone, it was hard for her just forget about them.  
  
"Mom, this is Tristan. Tristan, this is my Mom, Lorelai." Rory said, waving her hand between the two of them lazily.  
  
Tristan held out a firm hand and waited for Lorelai to slip her hand into his before shaking it gently. "Nice to meet you, Miss Gilmore. I can see where Rory gets her looks from. Same amazing blue eyes." He grinning, charming it up.   
  
Lorelai looked him over once, shaking his hand "Mmmhmm, nice line there kid. How old are you, 35? Just call me Lorelai for now," She looked over behind Tristan, and the two little girls standing behind him on either side. "And who are these two little angels?" Lorelai asked, bending down slightly to look at them at eye level. One of the little girls hide behind Tristan more, while the other grinned broadly.  
  
"This little one is Juliet," Tristan said, placing his hand on Juliet's back and pushing her forward a little.  
  
Lorelai smiled at the little girl "Juliet, huh? Is Tristan here your Romeo?" She asked, playfully.  
  
"Nooo!" The little girl cried, a look of bewilderment on her face. What was this lady thinking? "This is Peter Pan! Are you crazy?" She giggled "And I'm Tinker Bell, see?" She held out her hand and blew some invisible fairy dust on Lorelai, before jumping up and down.  
  
Lorelai pretended to have a sneezing fit, while the little girl laughed up at Tristan, pulling on his coat happily. Rory did her best to hide her smile, but it soon broke through. The little girl was too cute.   
  
Rory looked up at Tristan, and tried to picture him at Juliet's age. For some reason, a sweet little blonde headed boy, with a Kool-Aid mustache didn't seem to fit him. She knew for a fact that Tristan's childhood had been nothing like her own, because of obvious reasons. He grew up in a mansion, while she grew up in a tool shed. But aside from that, she doubted Tristan had a normal childhood at all. All she could picture was a little boy, stuck in a little boys suit, tugging at the tie was with strangling him, his mother snapping at him to leave it alone. And strangely enough, it saddened her.  
  
"And this little girl, is Elly." Tristan said, trying to move the little girl from behind him. She refused to move, and gripped her hands in to Tristan's coat all the tighter. Tristan ran his hand over her hair gently and smiled at Lorelai "I guess she's shy."  
  
Lorelai grinned down at the little girl, "Are you hungry?" She asked, raises her eyebrows. Elly nodded her head slowly, looking over the older lady standing in front of her.  
  
"Do you like fries, Elly?" Lorelai asked and Elly nodded her head quicker. Lorelai held out her hand to the little girl and gave her a grin. "I know the best place in town to get the best fries you've ever tasted. Once you've had these fries, any of fry you have in life will pale in comparison. It will blow your mind, it will rock your world. The universe as you know it, will tilt. The moon will-"  
  
"-Mom. She's like, seven. " Rory said, nodding her head.  
  
"Right! Guess I'm just used to talking to you. Come on girls, lets go get some food," Lorelai held out her hand to the two little girls, and when the slipped their much smaller ones into her bigger ones, she began to walk in the direction of Lukes. "They have great milkshakes there too. It's like tasting Heaven. It's like drinking from the fountain of youth. It's like..."  
  
Rory watched her Mom as she rounded the corner, her voice fading off into the distance before glancing back at Tristan, who now stood with his hands in his pockets. "I think we should go before they get too far ahead. My Mom is probably scaring them already."  
  
Tristan nodded and began walking, Rory walking beside him. His hands were still in his pockets, his long, fancy 'lawyer' coat as Lorelai liked to call them, flowed behind him softly. He definitely didn't look like he was from Stars Hollow.  
  
"Where is your Mom taking them, by the way?" He asked, not looking over at her.  
  
"Lukes, it's just right there." She pointed, and he nodded again.  
  
They had reached the door, and could see Lorelai and the two little girls sitting at a table with Luke standing over them. A rush of warm air hit their chilled faces as soon as the door opened, and they hurried inside, making their way towards the table Rory's Mom had picked out.  
  
Luke looked up at the couple, as they were now taking off their coats and settling them onto the back of their chairs. Lorelai helped Elly out of her coat as Tristan helped Juliet, setting it on the back of her chair and telling her to settle down and behave.  
  
"Who are you?" Luke asked, bracing his feet on the tile floor under him in a defiant stance as he looked down at Tristan.  
  
Tristan smiled and held out his hand, "Tristan DuGrey, and you are?"  
  
Luke just starred down at his hand for a moment. "Luke. I own this place." He took Tristan's hand for a short moment, making sure to show him just how much strength he had. "You don't live here. You're too much of a pretty boy to live here. Do you get manicures?" He asked and Tristan gave him a strange look before shaking his head and looking at Lorelai.  
  
"Luke, can we just get five burgers and five chocolate shakes please?" She asked, grinning up at him sarcastically, telling him to behave. Luke nodded his head and gave Tristan one last look before making his way back to the kitchen.  
  
"Is he always like that?" He asked, flipping his thumb over his shoulder in the direction Luke had taken off in.  
  
"Oh no, he's never that charming. He must really like you." Lorelai joked, grinning at Juliet.  
  
Tristan smiled up at Rory, and twirled his hand over the spoon in front of him.  
  
"I hope he's not the only one."  
  
He grinned as Rory's wide blue eyes met his calm ones.  
  
_Damn, I hope.  
_  



	9. Say your lines but do you feel them

Chapter 9  
  
  


  
"And then she took the birthday cake, blown out candles and all, and sat down, right in the middle of it! There was frosting and chocolate cake all over that cute little butt of hers. People couldn't stop laughing at her for the longest time" Lorelai finished, clapping her hands together, laughing.   
  
"Mom..." Rory started, but was cut off.  
  
"And that's not the worst part. The worst part was this was last year!" Lorelai yelled, causing a few people in the diner to turn their heads and look, only to realize it was Lorelai and get back to their meal.  
  
"It was not!" Rory yelled, receiving a glare from Luke, who had managed to hide a smile.  
  
Tristan covered his mouth with his hand and clutches his stomach with the other. Never in his life had he had a night filled with so many jokes and real laughter. His stomach was starting to hurt more and more the longer Lorelai talked, yet he didn't want the night to end. Shoving the last of the 3 plates of fries they had ordered into his mouth, he munched it happily and grinned at the Mother and Daughter, both with a twinkle in their eye.  
  
  
_Is this what a relationship with your parents is supposed to be like?_  
  
  
"Tristan, don't believe her, okay? She's a pathological liar!" Rory claimed, throwing a crumb in her Mothers direction.  
  
Tristan smiled and wiped his hands on the napkin before winking at Lorelai "She may be that, but her stories are too good to not be true. I'd believe anything she'd say, any day."  
  
Rory raised an eyebrow in challenge "Even if she said you were an egotistical, arrogant, spoiled rich boy with an unbelievable amount of stock in Trojan condoms?"  
  
Tristan's eyes widened for a moment, shocked that Rory had outted him in such a way in front of her Mom, but the look was quickly --and masterfully-- replaced by a natural sweet grin, a pink flush coming to his cheeks. "Now, Lorelai, don't believe ANYTHING she says. If you're a pathological liar, she must be one too," He grinned at the both before grabbing a napkin and wiping off Juliet's face, which was now covered in an insane amount of chocolate milkshake.  
  
Lorelai looked at her daughter and nodded her approval, "He's got you there, kid."  
  
Rory rolled her eyes and looked at Tristan, her harsh words stopped in her throat as she watched him gently take the little girls chin in his hand and wipe of the remaining traces of milkshake. Tristan smiled at Juliet's sleepy face, looking her straight in the eye. He ran a hand through her hair softly before kissing the top of her head and moving to clean off Elly's face, which held just as much milkshake as Juliet's had before.  
  
Lorelai watched her daughter as she gazed at the new boy in her life, wondering when Tristan managed to sneak his way into her daughters heart, whether Rory would admit to that statement or not. She grinned lazily and kicked her daughter under the table, letting her know she had seen all the dreamy faces Rory had just given off.   
  
Not looking over at her Mother, for fear of the "Have you gone mad?!" look, Rory set her brow in confrontation mode and set off. "I may lie, but I doubt the 100 girls who's worlds you've rocked don't." She grabbed his cell phone off the table, snatching it away before he could even look up at her and held it up. "Shall we call them and see what they have to say about Trojan's biggest supporter?" She grinned evilly and slightly, and to her shock, playfully. She watched as Tristan sat up sharp, causing a strange look from the newly, and fully awakened Elly, who continued to wipe her own mouth off with the sleeve of her white shirt.  
  
"Rory, Rory, don't play games. Give me back my phone. You know all the girls, if there are any, " He said, looking over at Lorelai playfully "are just there to call for homework and banquet dates." He placed his hand on his chest and sighed "I'm surprised you think of me that way, Rory-- No, I'm hurt you think of me that way. A poor southern boy as myself."  
  
Rory rolled her eyes and slid the phone back to him on the table "Connecticut isn't southern, _O Smart One_."  
  
"I know, it just sounded good." He slid the phone in his jacket pocket and gave her a wink.   
  
" '_You've won a million dollars_' couldn't sound good coming from your mouth, less much anything else." She retorted, her cheeks pinking with the excitement of their old banter.  
  
"When you're around me, Rory, the last thing you're thinking about is money."  
  
"I highly doubt that. I HIGHLY doubt that."  
  
"Luke! LUKE!" Lorelai cried, her ears about to ring from the sound of their voices going back and forth, with the horrible lack of comebacks. "Luke!"  
  
Tristan and Rory continued to spar as Luke walked up, seeming to pay them no attention. "Why do you insist on yelling _all _the time. No wonder you're not allowed into the Library. And here I was, thinking it was because all the books you've checked out have either been returned with coffee stains, have not been returned at all, or have been accidentally eaten by your nonexistent cat."  
  
Lorelai gave him a sweet smile and chose to ignore all his comments. "Could you bring me the check and a fork."  
  
He gave her a strange look before crossing his arms over his chest. "You've got a fork right there, why do you need another one."  
  
"Because I want the fork I jam into my ear to be clean."  
  
He shook his head and didn't even bother asking before he ripped off the ticket. "24.98.  
And no, you can't put it on your tab." He smirked and walked away before she could say  
anything else. Lorelai pulled the cash out of her purse with a disgruntled look and flipped  
it on the table before noticing the two small children who were now asleep, and probably  
had parents that were frantic in looking for them.  
  
_Whoops._  
  
Standing up, Lorelai managed to pick up Elly, resting the young girls tiny head on  
her shoulder before slinging her purse onto the other one. "Hey, Ken and Barbie. I think it's time we get these two to their parents, yeah?"  
  
Tristan stopped his verbal draw with Rory to look at Juliet, who was fighting to keep her eyes open. He glanced down at his watch, amazed to find it already 9 PM. "Gah! My Aunts gonna have my head on a stick for keeping them out so late!"  
  
  
_*Wish you well, I cannot stay  
You deserve an award for the role that you played*_  
  
  
"First good idea I've heard all night." Rory mumbled, standing up and pushing her chair in. Tristan shot her a look and picked up Juliet, resting her as comfortable as could be in his arms, allowing her head to fall on his shoulder. He pushed her hair away from her face as best he could, and struggled to get her large coat out of the way of his chin.   
  
They made their way out of the warm diner, out into the cold air of the snowy night. Rory sniffed her nose, while Tristan and Lorelai did their best to keep the little girls extra warm.  
  
"I hope your Aunt doesn't have my head on a stick as well. I highly doubt we'll look good as room decorations, no matter how cute we may be."  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Wow, your Aunt was really....Insane." Rory stated, brow wrinkled, twisting her hands in front of her, unsure if 'insane' was the proper word for such a person.  
  
Tristan smiled softly and scratched the back of his head, nodding it slowly. "Yes, they both really are actually. One time, when I was around Juliet's age, they were watching me for my parents. They took me to the store with them-- I'd never been to a store before--"  
  
"--You'd never been to a store before?" Rory asked, bewildered.  
  
"Nope," he answered as if it was nothing, "so when I went with them, it was something completely new, and I loved it," He laughed softly, rubbing his cold hands over his mouth for a moment. "I'd never seen a parking lot. I'd never seen where the food came from, it was always just placed in front of me. I don't really think I completely understood at that age though. The connection that everyone went to the store, and bought their own food and whatnot. My parents never went, and if they did, they'd never taken me. This sounds really stupid, doesn't it?" He glanced down at her. He knew she couldn't understand this story the way he could, and he wasn't sure what made him start up on telling it, but he wanted to. He wanted to keep going, and even if she said it was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard in her life, he'd continue telling it.   
  
"No..." Rory said slowly, avoiding his eyes slightly. "It's not stupid. Just...strange."  
  
He smiled at nodded his head towards the sky. "That's my life to you ... strange."  
  
He left that to rest on her mind for a moment before continuing, "So, being only what--like 5? And completely curious, I made sure I pointed out everything I could possibly see, and when they weren't looking I managed to sneak away. I wasn't gone long, but I was in the toys section when they found me. My Aunt practically smothered me with kisses before throwing my over to my Uncle, who didn't even let go of me till we got to the car. I don't ever remember ever being so happy to be in trouble." He sighed.  
  
"I think you're always happy when you get in trouble." Rory quipped  
  
"I am." He said simply, almost too seriously. He was giving too much away, he knew it. It didn't bother him though. Rory was simple. Rory didn't have years of walls built up around her that needed to be taken down before she could see anyone but herself. He loved hating her for the fact that she could see right through him.  
  
"Now that's really strange."  
  
"Rory, do you think it's funny that we lived our childhood's an hour away from each other, but in two completely different worlds?" He had changed the subject slightly. He had managed to remove her thoughts from his personal memories to something less close, without leaving what he really needed to talk about. Thanking years of training on excuses, ploys, and watching his parents toy with each other, he glanced over at her profile.  
  
"You've lost me."  
  
He smiled, "You find my life so completely strange to you, while all the while, I'm grasping to hold on to it."   
  
Rubbing her forehead, she stopped and turned to him "Still lost here. Stop, back up and explain what you mean."  
  
"My life, no matter how shitty or weird or strange it may look to you, is all I've ever known. Your Mother probably took you to the store whenever she went. Your Mother probably panicked if she couldn't find you. You probably grew up surrounded by people who thought you were the cutest little girl to walk the face of the planet. It's normal for you. I grew up with none of that, and when my Aunt and Uncle were so scared for those 5 minutes they couldn't find me, I was in your world...and it was strange to me."   
  
"Tristan, I know you grew up in a hard family and in an even harder society but I don't see where you're going with this at all."  
  
He smiled, "In my world, I'm normal. I'm fucked up because it's normal. I'm a trouble maker because it's normal. You were right when you said I enjoy getting in trouble. When I'm caught, for that split second right before the yelling starts, and the punishment is handed out, I'm 5 again, and they're scared of losing me. For that split second, I'm normal in _your _world."   
  
She watched him for a moment, and he couldn't remember a time when his palms felt so clammy. He gave her a nervous grin, and he felt his lips twitch slightly. "I'm not unhappy in my world, Rory. I'm not dying inside. I'm just numb. I'm just playing by their rules to be normal."  
  
She starred at him hard. Where in the hell did all this come from? Everything about him had changed within a matter of moments. He didn't even look the same. He didn't even sound the same! His normally scratchy voice was smooth and heavy. He looked softer, his sharp features seemed to have taken on an innocence she'd never seen on him before. For a moment she could have sworn she'd heard something her mother once told her in his words. A phrase, a feeling. Something in there seemed familiar and touchable. Sucking in a shaky breath, she forced the words past her tightened throat   
  
"Why are you telling me this?" Her voice felt strange. Like it came from someone else around her, nothing more than an echo.   
  
He smiled at her simply. A smile that wasn't tainted in cheesy charm, but tingly and natural. "Because sometimes I just wish I was normal to you."  
  
  
*_No more masquerade, you're one lonely star  
[One lonely star and you don't know who you are]*  
  
  
_The ground seemed the best place to keep her eyes. He had suddenly seemed too close to her, too touchable, too breakable. Too important to turn away from, too interesting to even try to. She started walking, knowing she wouldn't even need to tell him to follow along. She looked up quickly, the wrap around porch of her house just in her view. Her Mother was gone, having told Luke about the jeep, and his insistence to go retrieve it tonight. She'd be alone in the house for a while, if only she could get inside.  
  
"Rory..." His voice had returned to normal. Scratchy, rough. She didn't need to turn and look at him to know he would now look to her as he always did. Handsome, flirtatious, dangerous. She listened to him struggle with his words, and she could feel him standing behind her. She quickly made her way up the steps of her porch, waiting to feel the safety of the door handle under her hand.  
  
"Rory, I-- " She stopped. Her fingertips only a wisp away from grasping the door knob and running inside, but she couldn't do it. She couldn't leave him there with nothing.  
  
"Tristan," She said simply, slowly turning around to face him. She was surprised to find yet another Tristan standing before her. A scared, desperate one, and her with in a heartbeat, her strength against him faltered.  
  
A small smile slipped upon her lips, and Tristan could actually feel his heart stopping, as if holding it's own breath to hear her words.  
  
"I'll give you a tour of my world."  
  



End file.
